Visakhapatnam: Hindustan Shipyard Limited hosted the flag-off for the final stretch of the ‘Naman’ Car Rally on Thursday, marking a nationwide outreach effort celebrating the commissioning of the Indian Navy’s 100th indigenously designed warship, INS Udaygiri.

The rally, organised by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB), began on 29 October at Lothal in Gujarat, the site of the world’s earliest known dockyard. It is traversing major shipbuilding centres such as Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, Chennai and Visakhapatnam, and will conclude in Kolkata on 17 November.

Rear Admiral RS Dhaliwal, NM, Admiral Superintendent of Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam, flagged off the final segment at HSL in the presence of Rear Admiral Sujit Bari, Director General, Warship Design Bureau, and Cmde Rakesh Prasad (Retd), Director, Corporate Planning and Personnel, HSL. Senior naval officers, HSL executives, industry representatives and students from the Indian Maritime University also attended.

Speaking at the ceremony, Rear Admiral Dhaliwal said the ‘Naman’ rally highlights India’s growing maritime strength, technological advancement and the contributions of the WDB, which has designed more than 100 warships including destroyers, frigates, survey vessels and the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. He also acknowledged HSL’s role in naval shipbuilding, major refits and complex submarine refits, noting the shipyard’s recent revival and alignment with the national vision of Aatmanirbharta.

Cmde Rakesh Prasad (Retd) described ‘Naman’ as a “Voyage of Pride” that connects India’s ancient maritime legacy with its modern shipbuilding milestones. He said the rally honours naval designers, engineers and shipyard teams who have advanced India’s indigenous warship capabilities, and reaffirmed HSL’s commitment to supporting the Navy and strengthening India’s maritime defence.

BI Bureau